The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-03-03
THE LOT OF WOMEN.
Why Every Girl Should Acquire Founds-
tion ON Which She Could Build Livelt.
hood.

tion ON Which She Could Build q Livelt.
hood.
The keenest sufferers to-day, the ones
most liable to suffer from poverty, are
those who have grown up in homes of
comfort, if not luxury, and whom cir
cumstances suddenly force into posi-
ton where they must support Them
selves or become objects of charity,
thrown on the world without the least
preparation to meet its wants or their
own.
It is positively criminal for parents
to allow their daughters to grow into
maturity without laying a foundation
ON which they can build livelihood
should circumstances demand it. 1t
costs no more time or money to edu-
cate girl to a definite purpose, a
definite object, than it does to let her
saunter through her school days ac-
quiring little or'much as inclination and
conscience dictate. Give purpose to
her school life by imbuing her with
the desire to develop all her powers,
and give her sense of responsibility
by educati ng her to understand the
possibilities of the future, and the wis
dom of preparing for that possibility.
Nothing gives more dignity and poise
to character than the consciousness
that one can stand erect and steadfast
when the occasion demands. To allow
girl strong and in the possession of
her mental and physical powers to
grow up without an education that can
be turned into money is beyond all
things cruel. 1t places her at an i'm
mense disadvantage. She faces the
world with the consciousness that mar
riage is the destiny to which she is con-
signed by herself and friends. To miss
it is to fail to reach the goal, to win the
prize. So every unmarried man is view
ed in the light of such unwritten hopes,
unexpressed, ,unacknowledged thoughts.
Alas! how poor the prize that some
have takeni
When girl at maturity is equipped
to meet the future on her own respons-
ibility, she has gained the wisdom to
see life without the delusions and false
ideas that hold and govern girl who
looks for position that is the gift OF
another. When the gift of heart and
possessions comes to girl so educated,
she accepts with dignity, because 1t is
not necessity to her future. Support,
position, she could have gained for her.
self. And she more truly gives herself
to husband who does not need his ma
terial gifts nor his name as mantle to
cover ineficiency. Charlotte Bronte
years ago said:
| Look at the numerous families of girls in
| this neighborhoodi The brothers of these girls
are every one in business or in professions
they have something to do. Their sisters have
no earthly employment but household work ant
sewing; no earthly pleasure but an improbable
visit, and no hope, in all their lives to come o
any thing better. The great wish, the sole aim
| Of every one of them is to be married, but thu
majority will never marry; they will die as the.
l now live. Could men live SO themselvesf Woult
they not be very weary? Lucretia spinning q
| midnight among her maidens, and Solomon
| virtuous women, are often quoted as patterns o
| what the sex ought to be; but the virtuou
woman had more to do than to spin and givt
out portions; she was manufacturer-sht
made fine linen and sold it; she was an agricul
turist-she bought estates and planted vine
/ yards. Strength and honor were her clothing
| the heart Of her husband safely trusted In her
| She opened her mouth with wisdom; in he
| tongue was the law of kindness; her children
| praised her. King OF Israeli your model o
woman is worthy model But, are we, II
] these days, brought up to be like her? Men o
1 Yorkshirei do your daughters reach this loft,
standard? Can they reach itf Can you he'll
them to reach it, Can you give them q field ii
which their faculties may be exercised AM
growf Men of EnglandI look at your poor girls
many ef them fading round you, dropping on fl
consumption or decline; or, what Is worse, de
generating into sour old maids, or, what is wors
than all, reduced to strive, by scarce modes
coquetry and debasing artifice, to gain that pc
sition and consideration by marriage which +
celibacy is denied"
Free every girl from the thralldon
of false standard, false ideas. Let he
decide her destiny unfettered by tn
thought of helplessness to provide TO
herself should necessity demand it.
| The noblest, truest life for woman i
that of wife and mother. But that i
noblest and truest only when entere'
into unselfishly, reverently and forlov
alone, founded and rooted in deepes
respect. A feeling coaxed into a sem
blance of love because the object bid
fair to stand between future needs AM
the necessity of self-support is not
love born of God, or sanctified by tn
marriage relation. It is unjust to an
girl to place her where her heart ca
not dictate unbiased. 1t is cruel to lie
woman face the world unable to ear
her bread if the future compels he
own hands to supply the needs of lif
for herself and others.-ChTistidaa Union